Abstract
Background and AimsObesity and impairments in metabolic health are associated with reductions in exercise capacity. Both whey protein isolates (WPIs) and vitamin E tocotrienols (TCTs) exert favorable effects on obesity-related metabolic parameters. This research sought to determine whether these supplements improved exercise capacity and increased glucose tolerance in diet-induced obese rats.MethodsSix week old male rats (n = 35) weighing 187 ± 32g were allocated to either: Control (n = 9), TCT (n = 9), WPI (n = 8) or TCT + WPI (n = 9) and placed on a high-fat diet (40% of energy from fat) for 10 weeks. Animals received 50mg/kg body weight and 8% of total energy intake per day of TCTs and/or WPIs respectively. Food intake, body composition, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, exercise capacity, skeletal muscle glycogen content and oxidative enzyme activity were determined.ResultsBoth TCT and WPI groups ran >50% longer (2271 ± 185m and 2195 ± 265m respectively) than the Control group (1428 ± 139m) during the run to exhaustion test (P<0.05), TCT + WPI did not further improve exercise endurance (2068 ± 104m). WPIs increased the maximum in vitro activity of beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA in the soleus muscle (P<0.05 vs. Control) but not in the plantaris. Citrate synthase activity was not different between groups. Neither supplement had any effect on weight gain, adiposity, glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity.ConclusionTen weeks of both TCTs and WPIs increased exercise endurance by 50% in sedentary, diet-induced obese rats. These positive effects of TCTs and WPIs were independent of body weight, adiposity or glucose tolerance.
Highlights
Obesity and its related comorbidities are major public health threats that are escalating rapidly
Neither supplement had any effect on weight gain, adiposity, glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity
Tocotrienols and Whey Protein Improve Exercise Capacity exercise test; PGC-1α, peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha; SOL, Soleus; TCT, Tocotrienol; time to exhaustion (TTE), Test to Exhaustion; whey protein isolates (WPIs), Whey protein isolates. Ten weeks of both TCTs and WPIs increased exercise endurance by 50% in sedentary, diet-induced obese rats. These positive effects of TCTs and WPIs were independent of body weight, adiposity or glucose tolerance
Summary
Obesity and its related comorbidities are major public health threats that are escalating rapidly. There is evidence that obesity is associated with reduced skeletal muscle oxidative capacity [9,10,11,12]. The reduced oxidative capacity has been postulated to provoke perturbations in insulin signalling, leading to the eventual development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes [10, 13]. These impairments in skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism are known to contribute to the reduced exercise tolerance displayed in obese humans and animals [7, 14, 15]. Obesity and impairments in metabolic health are associated with reductions in exercise capacity. This research sought to determine whether these supplements improved exercise capacity and increased glucose tolerance in diet-induced obese rats.
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